March 16, 2013

I volunteered for Service Day for Schools because it has always been important to me to give back to the community. We went to Cesar Chavez Elementary School in Richmond, where I helped paint a large map of the United States on the blacktop. The project seemed daunting at first, but everyone worked together to turn a plain blacktop into a colorful mural for the students to enjoy. The most rewarding part was seeing members of the school community come together to volunteer at the school. I worked with a fifth-grade student named Francisco who was so excited to be working at his school and looked forward to telling his friends that he had helped with the map. Day of Service really represents everything Saint Mary’s stands for: community outreach, service and giving back. Read more about the Great Bay Area Service Day for Schools...

-Olivia Meme '16Meme is a communications major and aspires to be a photojournalist for ESPN.

November 3, 2012

At Saint Mary’s Sesquicentennial Gala on Treasure Island, with this spectacular view of San Francisco Bay and the city skyline, I had a strong sense that the College was making a significant shift and a statement regarding who we are and how we celebrate it. I have always loved the intimacy of the Saint Mary’s community, but we are truly bigger and better than we often give ourselves credit for. This was a kind of “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” moment for me. I felt extremely proud of my association with Saint Mary’s at that moment.

-Chris Carter ’97, MA ’02Carter is the director of alumni and volunteer engagement at SMC and has played a major leadership role in planning sesquicentennial events.